


Lesson in Language

by Kolivans (arka_r)



Series: tumblr drabbles [32]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 13:04:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14955222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arka_r/pseuds/Kolivans
Summary: Sometimes, rebelling against the Empire means learning how to speak a long forgotten language.a.k.a Keith learns how to speak the language of Kolivan's ancestors.





	Lesson in Language

**Author's Note:**

> oh hey this is my 100th fic here.
> 
> *blows kazoo*
> 
> first chapter is set around season 4

It wasn’t uncommon for Keith to accompany Kolivan on the Command Room, though Keith began to realize that it wasn’t  _ common _ for a low-ranked Blade agent like him to be there either. 

 

When he wasn’t training, doing chores, or out on a mission, Keith would help Kolivan sorting through encrypted files—messages from Blade agents all over the galaxy. Lately, there were just  _ so many messages _ , Keith noticed, even more than usual. He figured that it had something to do with their agents spreading far too thin to help the Coalition gathering intel and helping to defend reclaimed planets.

 

It wasn’t uncommon for Kolivan to mutter under their breath as they read over the files. Sometimes, the words were too low for Keith’s translator to catch. But sometimes…  _ sometimes  _ Keith was really sure that his translator should be able to catch it, but  _ didn’t _ .

 

Kolivan didn’t mutter in Standard Galran, Keith was ninety percent sure of it.

 

It was happening again, and Keith didn’t realize that he had been staring until Kolivan lifted their eyes from the holoscreen and blinked questioningly.

 

“Oh, um.” Keith rubbed the back of his head, feeling awkward. He didn’t mean to stare, but now that he was caught… “I didn’t know you can speak more than one language.”

 

A small chuckle escaped Kolivan. Keith felt his face heating up— _ of course _ , duh. Speaking more than one language was probably very common with various beings living together and interacting with each other, even with the help of Universal Translator. Even the Blade of Marmora had to work with other non-Galran beings before they joined the Coalition. Hell, some of their members were Non-Galra.

 

“I speak more than five hundred languages, actually. The translator should have caught at least sixty percent of it”, Kolivan said. There was a hint in their voice that told Keith that, while speaking multiple language was common, learning to speak  _ that  _ many language was not.

 

“Oh. Wow…” Keith breathed out. “I mean, I should’ve guessed, with your prolonged lifespan and all. Even back on Earth, we have people who can speak ten languages.”

 

“Do you speak more than one language, Keith?” Kolivan asked, closing the holoscreen as they turned their attention fully to Keith.

 

“I can speak three!” Keith answered proudly. “Five, with Standard Galran and a little bit of Altean now, I guess? Although it’s probably not as impressive as you.”

 

Kolivan shrugged. “It’s like you said, I have the advantage with my prolonged lifespan. I say five is still impressive. Most Galra who live under Zarkon’s rule can only speak two  _ at most _ .”

 

Keith blinked in confusion. However, before he could question the vehemence in Kolivan’s voice, the Blade leader’s eyes glinted excitedly.

 

“Say, Keith. Perhaps I can interest you to learn one more?”

 

—

 

And that was how Keith began his Lorian language lesson.

 

“Lorian language, or  _ Vasa Lora _ in its native tongue, is the language of Lorian Galra. They were ancient seafarers, who existed since before the Empire diaspora throughout the Known Universe. I am descended from them”, Kolivan said. 

 

“During the Cultural Reformation several millennia ago, all Galra were prohibited from speaking language other than Standard Galran. Non-Standard dialects were considered…  _ uncultured _ , against the spirit of unification that Zarkon touted. Nowadays, the language of my ancestors would be completely gone without the people who worked in secret to preserve it.”

 

Keith was not unfamiliar with cultural genocide. Even back on Earth, he learned about how imperialism and colonization destroyed so many culture across the globe. No matter the species, imperialists and colonizers across the galaxy were all the same.

 

By learning the language of their ancestors, Kolivan was rebelling against Zarkon’s oppression. Keith admired that about Kolivan—they were rebelling against the Empire in every way possible. That took courage and dedication.

 

“Now”, Kolivan clapped their hands. “Let’s begin with the basics:  _ pronouns _ .”

 

As it turned out,  _ Vasa Lora _ was a  _ heavily-gendered  _ language. The Lorians had three genders, each one had their own pronouns. There were also pronouns for bigender Lorians, agender Lorians, Non-Lorian Galra, and Non-Galra. On top of being sexist as hell, Kolivan told Keith, they used to be extremely xenophobic. Using the wrong pronouns was considered a grave insult that would often end in duel to the death.

 

Keith stared at the holoscreen in front of him, almost cross-eyed. He couldn’t decide whether he had to use Non-Lorian Galra or Non-Galra pronouns to address himself. But then Kolivan took one look at him and suggested that he should use the Hralkar one.

 

“Why?” Keith blurted out before he could stop himself. He scrolled up to the pages about Lorian gender. Hralkar were the gender of warriors and protectors, and while Keith felt that the description suited him the best, Keith didn’t know if it would be culturally appropriate. Especially since he wasn’t a Lorian.

 

Was  _ he  _ even a descendant of Lorian People, though? He didn’t know anything about his mom, let alone if she was descended from a culturally-extinct ethnic group.

 

But Kolivan was a Lorian, so Keith figured it would be fine.  _ God _ , Keith really hoped he didn’t have to use the Lorian language in front of other Lorians. Who knew if they were as open-minded as Kolivan? Briefly, Keith wondered if the duel to the death thing also applied if he used the wrong pronouns on himself.

 

“ _ Te’o-ka _ —” Keith paused, before correcting himself. “ _ Te’ou-kar’mea  _ Keith. My name is Keith.”

 

“Try to emphasize your ‘ _ ou _ ’”, Kolivan suggested. “ _ Te’ _ **_ou_ ** _ -kar’mea _ , like so.”

 

“ _Te’ou-kar’_ —” Keith tried, but Kolivan interrupted him again.

 

“No, no. You forgot your ‘r’! It’s ‘ _kar’mea_ ’, not ‘ _ka’mea_ ’!” they said, exasperated — which then turned into confusion. “I don’t understand. Can’t your people pronounce ‘r’? Wait, that’s not right, Shiro’s name has ‘r’ in it and you’ve never had any problem with it.”

 

Keith blinked. “Oh, that’s because there’s a vowel after—oh, never mind.” English pronunciation rules did  _ not _ apply in other languages, he should’ve known this. 

 

“ _ Te’ _ **_ou_ ** _ -ka _ **_r_ ** _ ’mea _ Keith”, he tried again. He thought he finally nailed it when Kolivan visibly brightened and praised him.

 

He thought, maybe learning a new language wouldn’t be so bad—especially if it made Kolivan happy.

 

—

 

He  _ almost _ took back that thought when he scrolled to the next page and realized that the Lorians, apparently, also had gendered  _ plural _ pronouns that he had yet to learn.

 

—

**Author's Note:**

> go scream @ [my tumblr](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com)


End file.
